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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bass — low music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bank — of a river
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com